Sister tried to block man's arrest

Updated 2:03 pm, Tuesday, July 3, 2012

A drunken-driving suspect's sister tried to block his arrest after he confessed to an officer that he ran over an off-duty cop, police said.

Police said James Bennack, 20, was traveling south on Fredericksburg Road about 11 p.m. Saturday when he tried to pass a car and struck a motorcycle driven by SAPD officer Albert Trevino, a four-year veteran who was on his first day of vacation.

The pickup dragged Trevino and the cycle about 100 yards, police said. He was taken to University Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition the next day.

Police said the pickup didn't stop after the crash, and officers found the wrecked vehicle in front of an apartment nearby.

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An officer who went to the apartment said a group of males standing outside yelled at him that he didn't have a warrant to enter the home.

The officer said he started to leave, then Bennack told him, “Sir, I did it. I hit the guy on the bike.”

His sister, Raelyn Bennack, then ran up and snatched the keys to the pickup from her brother's hands and tried to keep the officer from arresting him.

James Bennack was charged with intoxication assault and failure to stop and render aid. A judge set bail at $60,000.

His sister was charged with interfering with the duties of a police officer. Bail for her was set at $1,000.

In an odd twist, a Facebook user from Jourdanton named James Bennack a day earlier posted a photo of an SUV that apparently had rolled over.

The description read: “This poor family got cut off by some (expletive) by la contera (sic) prkwy and the dad flipped the car :/ I stopped and got the kids out and the mom :) first one on seen (sic) to help!”